During its development, POP, on the one hand, experienced varied interactions with and inspiration from parallel developments in therapeutic approaches such as Gestalt therapy, systemic therapy, NLP, and hypnotherapy. On the other hand, it discovered and unfolded its own deep anchoring within ancient wisdoms such as Taoism, Zen, and shamanism. Not least, POP builds bridges to principles of contemporary physics and our current knowledge of complex systems.

Amy Mindell provides a key to understanding POP, as well as a key difference to many methods that initially appear similar or are inspired by POP, by raising our attention to the centrality of metaskills. With this concept she brings into focus the stance, or spirit, that underpins Processwork, and that provides the essential criteria for selecting and applying individual methods and interventions (skills). These metaskills are, crucially, characterised by humility towards life itself, love to all humans, and respect and appreciation of their individual experiences. Processworkers attempt to engage with personal judgements, in particular cultural aversions or therapeutic concepts and pathologisations, as expressions of the overall process, and to leave these behind. Processworkers are in service to an encompassing and holistic process, which we could describe as process, as Tao, or self-organisation.